Spring-a-ding break!

Holy cow, use the bathroom before this post! And then get a snack, make sure your bum is comfy, and...here we go.

We decided this year, to take the kids to Moab for spring break. Turns out, it was a pretty good idea. They and we had a dang good time. Even the driving wasn't completely unbearable. We got to take Nana with us, the weather was pretty nice, and everyone came back alive.

We left Sunday after church and drove to Twin. After dinner at Nana's, we drove to Salt Lake and got there in time to see Liberty, and Aunt Danie and Uncle Havel. It was soo good to see them, thank you again for letting us sleep at your house. Liberty is super pooper cute!

We got up pretty early Monday morning, had our breakfast at MacDo's and we were off.

I will leave out the driving part...it's called editing.

When we arrived in Moab, my kids were already pretty excited, as was I. They had never seen the red rocks before, and they were talking about Mars and dinosaurs and all of it. Good stuff. We ate at Slick Rock Cafe, you cannot go to Moab and not go there...rules are rules. Then we decided to go do a couple little trails, we went up to Negro Bill's Canyon-listen, I don't make the names, I just tell you about them.

Look at my little Smalls, off like a shot. She was not afraid to get in there and hike.

Nana, on the other hand, was not so sure...

Just kidding, it just looks like that in this picture.

She was a really good sport, putting up with our screaming at our kids, and then taking her out hiking when her foot has been bugging her.

We came to the sandy part of the hike and Smalls was ecstatic that Moab has "sandboxes". It is seriously some of the softest sand I've ever felt. Why am I paying $5 a bag from Toys R Us? It's never this nice and this stuff is free.

Happy campers.

Um, Tink, hold still.

Tink was fearless when it came to climbing up the rocks and down the rocks, she was making me crazy at some points, and I could almost hear my mom saying, "You were the SAME WAY!" Like mother like daughter I guess.

Tink needed her picture with the pretty purple flowers.

My little hikers.

This picture is precious to the core! If your heart is not melting right now, well shame on you! Keep looking at it until it does melt your heart.....

Keep looking!

After Negro Bill's, we decided to go up Potash and see the dinosaur tracks. If you've ever been up to see the dino tracks, you know it's not a really easy hike, it's a little hike, but not easy.

Smalls insisted on going up to it. So after careful maneuvering, and some gasping, we got her up there.

See the tracks up behind her and Rambo's heads? Kermit and Tink thought they were pretty cool, but Kermit wanted to get back down pretty quick. He doesn't love heights, but he was brave, way to go Kermit!

And, Smalls is done! I love Rambo's face in this picture, that's really the only reason I put it in. Oh and the dino tracks -that's historic.

See how Kermit goes down on his bum. Too cute, except that I really don't want holes in the bum of his jeans. Oh well.

Next day out and we started in Arches at Park Avenue. It's a really beautiful trail and it's not hard, so we thought it would be perfect for the kiddos.

Look how beautiful that is...

Here we go, me and Smalls. Kermit and Tink left us in the dust! I love Smalls' track suit. She looks like a little old lady in an airport. Love it!

All this beautiful Moab scenery was never more impressive to Smalls than the sand. We were literally stopping every 15 feet so she could squat down and play in the sand.

She even found her very own arch to climb under and play in.

After Park avenue, we went to the Windows. It was amazing how nice it felt in the sunshine and how quickly you cooled off in the shade. I didn't expect the temperatures to be that drastic of a change. We are all freezing in this picture.

My Kermit looking so fly in this picture. He was such a good little hiker.

We went to Sand dune Arch after eating and hanging out at Windows. We forgot to take the camera in with us, and I will forever be sorry for that. Smalls loved it there. She started out just running up and down the hill, and getting sand stuck to her snot face, then, she began eating the sand. I thought she would get a taste of it and spit it out, but nope. She went back for more. We found sand in her diaper a few days later. I guess it's good that it made it's way through. We spent a long time at Sand dune, and called it a day.

The next day, we were up bright and early and hiked up to Delicate Arch.

This is not an easy hike, but Tink and Kermit both did it! I was so proud of them, it made my heart happy.

Me and Tink!

When we got up to the arch, Tink yelled out, "I LOVE MOAB!"

And somewhere in Heaven her grampa said, "That's my girl."

If he were still on earth, he woulda said, "DAMN STRAIGHT!" But in Heaven you gotta tone it down a bit.

This picture makes me nervous!

Sweet, brave little girl, she made me crazy!

It's weird having one kid who is cautious, and little afraid, and one who is fearlesss! I have to say, it was nice to not have to worry about Kermit, Tink nearly gave me a heart attack a few times on this trip!

Look at Kermit, he's like, "Can we go now, or do I keep smiling?"

Tink and I celebrating our victory.

Kermit was a little too nervous to come celebrate with us. You have no idea how tightly I am holding Tink's hand.

Here's kind of how the visit up at the Arch went.

"Hey Ethan! You should come see this! It's amazing!"

See that tiny dot up there...it said, "No."

"Are you sure, I will hold your hand all the way around! I promise, you'll be okay!"

"NO!"

That made Rambo feel like this. mad.

the end.

After Moab, we went back to Salt lake! We spent our first night back having dinner with our friends the Watts'. Lynette is one of my best friends from high school. I super heart her! Her girls are the same ages as my girls, so it was just good fun.

She made us quesadillas, and chicken tacos. It was so nice to have a home cooked meal and let the kids play with each other, and know that Tink wasn't going to fall off a mountain.

Thank you Aunt Nettie!

Aunt Nettie and Kermit. Kermit used to call her Ettie ettie when he was little, and for ever since then, she has been in love with him, don't tell Joey.

Then it was ice cream sundaes with hot fudge. I think Tink likes this ides. Look at Madely! Isn't she one of the prettiest girls you've ever seen!

BFF's. I love this picture.

Looking a little punch drunk on that ice cream. Must have been Aunt Nettie's "special sauce".

Izabel is the cutes thing in the world. She kept doing the funniest smiles for me every time I would pick up my camera. I could have taken her home with me. I love her!

After ice cream, we had to wash these little mermaids! Look how sweet they all are! Izabel kept dumping water on Smalls, it was so funny.

HOLD STILL so we can get a good picture!

Never mind.

After bath time, we just let the kids go crazy some more while we chatted.

Yeah, she's one of those guitar babes.

It was so good to catch up with Joey and Lynette. We have been friends for sooo long!

Wow, that is a really ugly picture of me, but I had to put me and my bff in here together.

I love you Netter!

The next day, we got to spend time with the birthday girls! Tricia and Jen have the same b-day, so we had to have a family get together, cuz we were in town and because we have birthdays!! and we need more reasons in life to eat cake!

Aunt Pat and Uncle B.

At one point in the party, miss Smalls had a major melt down and allowed Aunt Jen to help her calm down. Sage is helping too.

Aunt Jeni sang her Twinkle Twinkle little star after Smalls was in her new puppy jammies. Look at that, a happy Smalls.

Can we keep her? Aunt Jeni I mean.

Uncle Steve helped too, but he just doesn't have the Twinkly star voice that Aunt Jeni has, so he had to revert to ferris wheels...typical.

Too sweet.

I didn't take many pictures of the family get together, I was having too much fun! I have to see all my nieces and nephews and how much they have grown. I have to catch up with everyone and hug and eat and cut cake and-there's just a lot to do.

I miss you all already, can't wait to do it again!

However, I do need a vacation after this trip!